Adopting a 4 year old Jack Russel Terrier today... what am I in for?

[PortageGirl]

Thanks for the update!!! I'm really happy he's settling down and getting more comfortable. It sounds like you really know what you're doing. Most dogs I've seen that get punished (beaten!) more than encouraged or rewarded for good behaviour become sneaky instead of well behaved. Who can blame em?

I think they can be trained to stay away from the chickens pretty well, most JRTs, most of the time! LOL... I've been around a few, some better behaved than others of course as everyone is saying.

I believe they were originally bred to hunt all sorts of small game, not just ratting dogs like some terriers. (they are good at catching rats and mice though!! I knew one where I worked in a horse barn, the JRT was better than a cat and very intent!) The whole point is that back in the day, on any farm or in a rural area, a dog that chased or killed chickens wouldn't be tolerated!

I'm sorry to say that I'll bet the breed has changed over time so that they are more stubborn and less trainable then they once would have been because once upon a time, breeding for train-ability and temperament was as important as appearance. No farmer or hunter wants a dog that can't be trained to do it's "job" and they wouldn't allow an overly stubborn or un-trainable dog to reproduce.

Of course though, here's this guy in your life and he deserves to be well treated and loved. It sounds like you're on the right track after a rocky start, and that he's a pretty smart guy overall, like you said, a confused and frightened dog is bound to try and protect himself.

 

[wingznut76]

I am so glad the dog is working out. As I said before mine is fine around the birds. My wife even commented that he looks like he is watching out for them.

I had always wanted a JRT and my wife was not so keen on the idea. Bo has turned out to be a great dog, albeit a little stubborn. Firm clear guidance is the key. He is great with the grandkids more patient than just about any dog I have ever saw. The only animal he has not been good with is mice, which is ok with me as I live out in the country and mice can be a problem. It sounds like you have a good handle on the training. Has he been more work than some of the other dog breeds? Probably, but he has been more reward also. I will agree with some of the other posters, they are not for everyone. I do however feel blessed that I am one of the fortunate ones who has experienced the pure joy of owning one. I will post a pic when I figure out how.

 

[Ibicella]

I had a friend that had chickens and a JRT once. The JRT would make a snack of them if he ever got the chance, but my friend never let him have the chance.

15 years of happy JRT and chicken owning years without incident.

 

[woolychicken]

I have 3 jack russells, yes THREE. with 15 chikens,25 chicks,2 sheep,2goats and 9 bantums and 2 ducks. they are very active,loveing, great companions, but they are also very smart. since your is older you will need to find out how he will be with your flock NEVER!! trust him till you know every move and action he makes . mine have killed a few of my birds

but they now do not harm them if on is out of the pen. we still never fully trust them they are working dogs. they will sit in the chicken house as i do chores but are trained not to move from their spot. that took some time.

remenber to be the alpha dog when he has rescpect for you he will listen and obey. he should never have more then one master. so if your the one that will be careing for him the most connect with him. follow thru on every comand. NEVER give in. he must know you are the boss. once this is settled he will listen and obey. jacks need as much loving also, they will pout, and will even get up set they remenber things and your actions, as i said they are smart. he will become your best friend. my dog ben walks by my side as i push mowe the lawn, they know when i drive in the drive way, they will move when you move.they will love you with all their soul . i have 6 grandchildern they are wonderful to everyone . i hope you will have a wonderfull experiance with you new pet. he will need lots of loving since he has lost his friends he might even grive. my olderst jack (jake) did when we lost our white german shepheard to cancer. it took him 6 months to be happy agian. bella our youngest jack is the clown. she will bounce off your leg if do not listen to her.
JACKS BOUNCE I HAVE NEAVER SEEN ONE LEAP OVER A SAFTY GATE, BUT THEY CAN OPEN IT.

good luck!

 

[mistyfeather]

mine chasses the wild birds out off the chicken feeder and eats all of the uneaten scratch so the pesky squirels cant have any

 

[CityChicker]

Well, it may be too late now as you already have him, but I agree with what several other people have said. I bought my husband a Jack Russell (he always wanted one) just over 15 years ago. I will NEVER, EVER own another one. We have so many times regretted getting this one. Of course, we love him and could not bare to get rid of him, but I do regret ever getting him. He is *very* aggressive and has been since the day we got him. He can simply not be trusted anywhere at any time. He certainly can NOT be trusted anywhere near other animals. He has tried to kill every animal he has ever gotten near (including other dogs) and I mean literally loses it and attacks them to the point that our safety is endangered if he gets near another animal because it is so hard to get him off the other animal (hence he is not allowed near other animals). The only other animal he has ever been good around for any length of time is our female Dachsie.

He is probably one of the more intelligent animals we have ever owned, but he is also very OCD. The older he gets the worse that gets and the more neurotic he gets (although he is calmer, but yet more compulsive). For example, as soon as he is let outside he has a pattern that he runs continuously back and forth and back and forth. The thing that has always scared us the most about him is that he flips on a dime. There is no way really to adequately describe it. He will be fine with someone, something, some situation, whatever- and then one day it will be like a light switch is flipped and he hates that person or thing and wants to kill it. It is hard to describe. For example- we had another dog that he was fine with for a couple years, no signs of any problems/aggression. He literally got up one day, walked over to the dog and attacked it. From that day on, he would tried relentlessly to get to the dog and literally was completely uncontrollable when he could even see it. We housed them separately for about a year, had an obedience expert work with him, and finally gave up and rehomed the other dog.

Anyway, we have had too many bizarre incidents with this dog to even begin to go into. Because he is so aggressive, as I say, he requires absolute constant supervision and we are on eggshells around him. We have to be extremely careful to not upset or frighten him or change his routine. Never again. When he is gone, I don't want to ever be exposed to another Jack Russell again.

 

[angelique_redhead]

Got to agree with this one completely! The next door neighbors in town had a couple and they were always barking at all hours of the day and night. They had had a beagle that only barked when someone was bothering stuff. Unfortunately he died and they replaced him with loud, very energetic, noisy JRTs.

: Angelique

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[Caincando1]

It depends on the dog and more importantly the handler. I keep hunting terriers and hounds within feet of my birds but heavily contained. I'll never be able to trust them. JRT where originally bred for hunting but the breed has been heavily watered down for show and companion purposes. So I guess it depends on what kind of lines he comes from. My suggestions would go like this.

1.Lots and lots of exercise! I doubt you could over exercise one of those little buggers. If he has high prey drive, use that when you exercise him.

2.Obedience training and lot of it.

3.Socializing with people and other animals.

4.If he start to turn on the chickens get an e-collar. Learn how to operate it and use it. You can’t beat the long distance hands free control of a remote collar for dealing with dogs like this.

Finally my closing thoughts on keeping high prey drive and high energy dogs. IMO most of the problems people have comes from lack of effort on the handles part. I know when I start having problems with my dogs; I need to work with them more. It’s amazing how much better they behave during the hunting season when they are getting worked and handled a lot. If you put in the effort, the dog will be just fine.

 

[chikeemomma25]

I am glad it is working out better. I have been reading these posts becuase I have a Parson's Russell...she is a major pain. I got her from a friend who couldn't handle her as a pup,....what was I thinking???? Needless to say, I have had her for 6 years now and she is just as hyper today as she was the day I got her. When we got the chickens a few months ago we fenced in an area 50x50 for the dogs (JR and lab/bulldog mix). She has killed 3 birds so far. The first 2 were very small and escaped into the dog pen. The last attack was when the birds were free ranging and she dug out. We have been fighting her for the last 2 weeks. We have always had an electric fence up (the kind you TOUCH to get shocked, not with a collar). It worked well but she figured out how to get out through the railing of the porch. So...I put EF across there. Yea...she snuck out OVER TOP of it. So...we moved the box she was using. She ate through the chain link gate....more than once...and then dug under it. After cinder blocks and rewiring the fence...yea she UNDID the wire again. We put EF across the gate!! Guess what? SHE ATE THROUGH THE EF!!!!! and tore up the gate again!!! WELL now we have put a piece of plywood on the gate (chew through THAT) and fixed the EF. So far...so good...LOL....she is wearing me out!!!! I really need to spend some time trying to acquaint her with the girls I suppose. But I know I can NEVER trust her with them. I pondered giving her away but I would feel terribley guilty for giving her to someone! And to think...the girl who GAVE her to me paid $1k for her!!!! That shouldv'e told me something LOL. I love her but my goodness...she is wearing me down! Good luck with your boy! I really think it will work out....just not for me!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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My JRT has NEVER been a night time barker, unless something was out there or the other dogs in the nieghborhood were barking--usually it is someone or something out on the bridle paths that run between our houses. Lately we've noticed that she often doesn't even wake up with the "Bark Network" starts up.

Tessa has two speeds: ON and OFF. OFF usually takes affect an hour or two after dark, and lasts until we start moving around in the morning. Whenever the boys had a sleepover or there were overnight guests, OFF didn't happen. At nighttime with the lights out, she can't quite make it up to our bed (it's pretty tall), but in the daytime when she can see it, she will make a running jump.

JRTs were not bred as all-round hunters, but as "go-to-ground" dogs. Once the hounds chased the prey into its den or other hideyhole, the JRT's would be turned loose to hold it in the den or underground escape until the hunters could arrive and dig it out. They are usually pretty fearless, having been bred to go after badgers, fox and other fairly nasty adversaries.

The JRTCA is extremely adamant that JRTs be bred for their original purpose, NOT for appearance. Tehy will not register a dog until it is a year old, and it must pass health and other inspections; injuries such as a torn ear or scar are not supposed to be taken into consideration when judging conformation--only injuries that would prevent the dog from hunting. If you register a JRT with any all breed club, they will yank your JRTCA registration, or disallow you from getting one. They have yanked JRTCA registrations from people who had other dogs (different breeds, not JRTs) registerd with AKC or UKC.

Tess is very aggressive against other dogs, but not necessarily other types of animals. She and the cats are great friends, and she usually does quite well with the rabbit (who is best friends with the cat--they take turns playing tag with each other. Tessa is actively scared of the geese, not sure why, and I absolutely dould not trust her around ducks or baby geese. But she is fine with the chickens.

She has never been food driven to any extent--there are very few treats that interest her at all. She does enjoy playiing and very much enjoys going for a car ride or walk. Unfortunately, there are very few dog toys that she does not destroy in a matter of minutes.

As for people, she can be very unpredictable, so we are very careful when she is around people that she does not know. I think a lot of how she reacts is based upon how they react--if they show fear, she is likely to act aggressively; if they act like "what a cute dog, can I pet you," she usually treats them fine--gives me a nice edge when I have someone over repairing something

"Opps, don't try to pet the dog--she is unpredictable!" I've warned them, and have her on a nice tight leash--right by me.